I still cannot see how the end will be justified by the means. If what we have been told by military experts and other analysts is correct, then there is no doubt that there will be huge civilian losses. We could be talking about tens of thousands of casualties, if not more, and the smart bombs will not differentiate between men, women and children. While the atrocity in America almost 18 months ago accounted for approximately 3,000 deaths – many of whom were Irish – the death toll in Iraq could be multiples of that number. In debating this issue we must look at that aspect and ask whether it will be justified. Are we sure that Saddam Hussein will be the victim at the end of the conflict? Are we even sure that it will be possible for America to put a regime in place that will have the loyalty of all the Iraqi people, if they have suffered as a direct result of aggression?